By Terry Selucky (Los Angeles)
Last week, Germany’s Angela Merkel became the only European leader to secure a second re-election since the financial crisis of 2008. Viewed as a skilled diplomat and nicknamed the “Iron Chancellor”, Germany’s incumbent is, according to The Economist among others, the “de facto leader of the European Union.”
So what can we learn from the woman who is currently named #2 in Forbes’ “Most Powerful People” list, just after President Obama? The components of Merkel’s career can be translated to any career, at any time.
1. It may sound trite, but willingness is an overlooked and underrated component to leadership. Merkel wasn’t from a political family and she wasn’t pre-ordained to climb the ranks of German political leadership. It wasn’t until 1989, when she was 35 and working as a researcher, that she was elected into parliament from her position as spokesperson for her minority political party. Part of Merkel’s success is that she put herself in the position to mingle, debate, discuss, learn, and be discovered. Translation: Be vocal about what your interests are. Volunteer to help on a project, or read up on the kind of work you want to be involved in.
2. Being mentored. From Business Insider to the Wall Street Journal to this blog, all signs point to the evidence that having a mentor can have a lasting, positive effect on your career. Sheryl Sandberg credits Larry Summers with why she was able to rise in her field. It’s simple: Mentors provide guidance, advice, and connections to help you get to the next step. The links above provide solid steps on how to choose a mentor. When you cultivate these mentor relationships and establish sponsors who will advocate for you, then you will really feel the impact on your career advancement.
3. Great timing is perhaps one of the most hard-to-pinpoint qualities, but a good leader has to be in the right place at the right time. Synced with Merkel’s rise to power was the fact that the EU was poised for change. Merkel is a leader whose passionate opinions and strong leadership have earned her the moniker “the decider,” and with a shaky economy, Europe demands heavy guidance. Her commitment to austerity, though at times controversial, seems to be delivering the region toward stability. For women in business, this simply means responding to your current environment. Know what your company’s needs are, and act accordingly. Read more about good timing here.
4. Others’ acceptance. Of course, you can never control what other people think of you, but certain strategies and tactics can help you gain acceptance. This is not to say that your goal should be to please others; do that and you’ll find yourself pulled in all directions until you feel like a rubber octopus. The time-tested way to gain others’ acceptance is simply to earn it. Cultivate trust. Think of your best relationships—most likely, they took time to develop and have evolved through give and take: asking, listening and compromise. From 1990 until 2005, Merkel advocated for change in labor laws, in fiscal reform, and in energy policy, earning her way to Chancellorship.
5. Prove your character again and again. Have you noticed that our most successful, admired leaders seem to rise above circumstances? That they operate on a plane of self-possession, embodying the values people refer to as “leadership qualities?” Even though she has a specific point of view, Merkel has been praised worldwide for her diplomacy skills. Her constituency, in interviews, celebrates that “she persevere[s] in spite of all the West German men in high positions. You can see she is knowledgeable in all kinds of areas.” To be a good leader, you must continually demonstrate your values and your commitment.
Certainly, there are as many formulas for successful leadership as there are leaders in the world. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, gives this advice to young women leaders: “Grit your teeth and smile. And in the face of adversity, go. They don’t deserve you.” Raised by a single mother, she was inspired by her family, held numerous posts in the French government (securing mentorship, gaining acceptance) and stepped up to announce her candidacy (willingness) immediately following Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation as Managing Director of the IMF (timing).
In Lagarde’s words, the ups and downs of her job are “…an extraordinary adventure every day…Success is never complete. Each morning, one must put one’s capacities to the test once again.”
Though these two women hold many opposing beliefs about how to fix the economy, they keep a close and mutually respectful relationship—yet another practice of which US leaders should make a habit. Let’s hope they continue to inspire women around the world.
Voice of Experience: Lisa Ferraro, Managing Director, TIAA-CREF
Voices of ExperienceThis week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.
According to Lisa Ferraro, much has changed for women in finance over the past three decades as she has worked her way up from an Associate to a Managing Director. “I don’t view my success as a zero-sum game for an individual contributor anymore, and I’ve learned that people who are successful in their industries are interested in diversity and inclusion to help others and their businesses grow,” she said.
As the Portfolio Manager, Energy and Infrastructure in Global Private Markets at TIAA-CREF, Lisa Ferraro oversees a $2.2 billion private equity portfolio which is invested in oil and gas production as well as renewable energy projects. Ferraro comes from a family of entrepreneurs and has always had a keen interest in how businesses successfully operate. “Having curiosity about the fundamentals of the companies I invest in and respect for developers that are trying create value has guided how I built my career,” said Ferraro, who holds a B.S. in Economics from The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School with a dual degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management. “I read financial statements, and projections like a book, to see what story they tell about the company and management team. I get tremendous satisfaction from helping companies grow, which makes me a valuable private equity partner.”
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Voice of Experience: Kimberly Mounts, Founding Partner, President and CEO of MAP Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC
Voices of ExperienceThis week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.
Kimberly Mounts, Founding Partner, President and CEO of MAP Alternative Asset Management Company, LLC (“MAP”) built a successful career working with fixed income derivatives for two of the industry’s top firms: Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. However, if there was one thing she wished she knew earlier in her career, it was just how rewarding and fulfilling it would be to open up her own asset management company. Since Ms. Mounts founded the firm in 2006, MAP has grown into a premier institutional risk management and hedge fund consulting firm advising some of the largest public and corporate pension plans on over $35 billion of assets under advisory.
Selected as one of 140 business leaders to attend the White House Business Leaders Forum in 2011 and one of Institutional Investor Magazine’s 2012 Rising Stars of Hedge Funds, Kimberly Mounts’ persistence and dedication has established MAP as a leading risk management and hedge fund consultant. In addition, one of the largest public pensions awarded the firm a consulting contract for their hedge fund platform and a $40 billion state pension selected the firm as their investment risk consultant for their $18 billion defined benefit plan. MAP’s advisory work includes total portfolio risk management for public and corporate pensions, and a foundation. As part of the firm’s hedge fund advisory services, MAP researches, selects and combines the best-in-class fixed income managers with a particular focus on emerging, minority and women-owned hedge funds. The firm was recently named one of the Top 100 Emerging Businesses in California for 2013 by DiversityBusiness.com.
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Voice of Experience: Kerry Jordan, CFA, Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer, Chicago Capital Management L.P.
Voices of ExperienceThis week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.
When Kerry Jordan, CFA, Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer, Chicago Capital Management L.P., was first starting out in her career, she wished that she knew how to remind herself that everything would be alright. She explained, “If you make a mistake, you have to acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on from it.”
It is also important to recognize early in your career just how vital it is to act with integrity, competence, and respect and to maintain a credible reputation. “Always make sure you are acting in the best interest of your clients and your firm,” added Jordan. “I cannot emphasize this enough.”
Kerry Jordan began her career with the NASDAQ Stock Market conducting insider trading investigations on the stocks that traded in that market. “After six years of doing this, it gave me a really good orientation in compliance,” said Jordan.
While she was employed at NASDAQ, Jordan was also hard at work earning her graduate degree in finance and her Charter Financial Analyst designation, which she said gave her a broad based foundation in financial analysis and management. “When I completed my graduate studies, I started working for Bank of America on its derivative structuring team in Chicago working with Fortune 500 companies designing and implementing strategies to mitigate risk,” said Jordan.
Career in Finance
After a seven year career at Bank of America, Jordan moved to the hedge fund industry where she currently works. “My derivatives background allowed me to transition into the hedge fund industry since my first position was with a hedge fund that had a very heavy derivatives portfolio,” Jordan explained. “They were having difficulty explaining derivatives to investors, and I was able to take a complex portfolio and break it down into language that investors could understand.” she added.
Currently, Jordan works as the Director of Marketing and Chief Compliance Officer at Chicago Capital Management where she has been able to combine her experience in derivatives, compliance, and asset management. In this role, she is particularly excited about the way distribution has changed in asset management. “There are many different platforms available that enable smaller managers to access institutional money,” said Jordan.
She added that the next few years should be a dynamic time in the industry as a battle for distribution starts to develop. “As there is more access to capital online through crowdfunding, electronic exchanges, and other sources, there will be a significant shift in how capital allocation to hedge funds works,” Jordan explained.
Jordan indicated that earning her Charter Financial Analyst designation stands out as one of the most challenging but rewarding accomplishments of her career so far. She also pointed out that working on a derivatives trading desk for seven years, with mostly male colleagues, was extremely rigorous, but helped to shape who she has become professionally.
In order to help strengthen investor confidence in the financial markets, Jordan dedicates much of her time volunteering with The CFA Institute on various initiatives. “Restoring ethics and integrity is one of the most important elements to the continued success of the capital markets,” Jordan said. “Global markets have experienced so much turmoil over the last five years which has resulted in distrust in the financial services industry,” she added.
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Voice of Experience: Laurie Carroll, Managing Director and Index Specialist at Mellon Capital
Voices of ExperienceThis week we are profiling amazing women in investment management ahead of our annual career panel event on the 5th November for women in the industry who want to make it to the top.
In 1989, Laurie Carroll became a breast cancer survivor. “Being a breast cancer survivor in a male dominated atmosphere was hard, but it motivated me to work even harder and embrace every challenge,” said Carroll, “and I had a lot of supportive male colleagues around me who understood what I was going through.”
Laurie Carroll graduated from Seton Hill University with a degree in Business Management. At the time she attended, Seton Hill was a women’s college. “I wish I knew at the time that I wouldn’t necessarily be accepted in the business world,” said Carroll. “Within my family, and within the tight knit community at Seton Hill, you were never told that you couldn’t achieve something,” she added.
“That was really eye-opening for me. For example, when I started at BNY Mellon over 20 years ago, I wasn’t invited to the investment management meeting even though I was managing money,” Carroll said. “This has changed,” added Carroll. “Women are more involved and they are moving higher within the industry.”
Career Path
“When I graduated from college, Pittsburgh did not have the strongest job market, so I bought a one-way ticket to Houston where some of my family members lived,” said Carroll. Within three days Carroll found a position at an up and coming investment management firm called Aim Management. “I was hired to do basic office work,” recalled Carroll, “but that is how I got my start in the industry. I was about the 20th person to be hired at the company, which was later sold to Invesco.”
Carroll learned the business of investment management by being proactive and taking advantage of opportunities to advance her career whenever she could. She explained, “Whenever someone left the company or something changed, I asked to take on the new role or task. This is how I moved up in the business.”
After five or six years of working in the investment management industry in Houston, Carroll moved back to the Pittsburgh area when she accepted a position at one of the first investment management divisions at BNY Mellon. Since then, Carroll has worked in several investment management subsidiaries of BNY Mellon. “I am proud of the flexibility I have displayed throughout my career,” said Carroll, “and I am proud of the great teams I have had the opportunity to manage.”
Another career highlight Carroll noted as critical to her professional development was the international assignment she accepted a couple of years ago, to live and work in London. “I knew working abroad would be challenging on both a professional and a personal level. There is a different atmosphere and a different way of doing things, so I had to learn how to fit in to that culture,” said Carroll.
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Women in Fund Management Continue to Define a New Path of Success in the Financial Services
FeaturedBy Michelle Hendelman and Nicki Gilmour
There is some good news to be had in the fund management sector as performance data from the Rothstein Kass authored report in 2012 would suggest that women are emerging as proven leaders.
The analysis showed that hedge funds managed by women had outperformed the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index through the 3rd Quarter of 2012. These funds posted a net return through September 2012 of 8.95 percent, equivalently compared to the net return of 2.96 percent posted by the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index.
However, putting this into context as Christin L. Munsch from the Clayman Institute for Gender Research points out this study usefully documents the performance and experience of 366 senior women in the alternative investment industry but was overall limited to a sample size of 67 women owned funds.
Carrie McCabe, CEO and Founder of Lasair Capital, an institutional alternative asset management firm based in New York City, interviewed by Munsch, estimates that women comprise less than 2 percent of alternative investors.
McCabe noted that the study compared the performance of a lot of men and only a few women. Instead of taking the report at face value, McCabe encouraged everyone in the industry to understand the resilience of the talented women who have thrived in a male dominated business of alternative investing.
She is right, as despite higher performance, female hedge fund managers with a proven track record have trouble attracting as much investor money as male fund managers.
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Deutsche Bank’s 19th Annual Women on Wall Street Conference: A Night of Game Changers
Featured, News“Game Changers” was the theme of the night. The chicly decorated ballroom, which held approximately 2,000 women and a small handful of men, had a distinct theme of blue. This invitation-only is one of the largest and longest run women events on Wall Street. Deutsche Bank has held the Women on Wall Street (WOWS) conference since 1995. Over the years, the attendance has grown from 200 to more than 2,000 women of all ages representing all the major international Wall Street firms as well as female executives in asset management, accounting, investment banking, media, politics and academia.
While acknowledging the long history of challenging times for women on Wall Street and also preaching the continuous need to promote woman within the corporate world, Jacques Brand, CEO of Deutsche Bank North America, kicked off the evening.
A Conversation with former Senator, Olympia Snowe
Frank Kelly, Global Coordinator, Public Affairs and Head of Government Relations in the Americas as Deutsche Bank, led a one-on-one discussion between former Senator Olympia Snowe. He started by turning everyone’s attention to a newspaper article that referenced the chaos in Washington and its title read “Senate women lead an effort to find an accord.”
Snowe advised the audience about her “game changing” decision not to pursue re-election. She expressed her beliefs that she can make a more significant impact without actually being on the “inside.” It wasn’t an immediate decision she described; in fact it was one that evolved over time as she traveled around the country. She came to realize what the Senate was evolving into, which seemed dysfunctional on top of their willingness not to work together. “I would be best served to work on the outside, contribute my knowledge, my experience and to help people understand that it doesn’t have to be this way. It wasn’t that way in the past and it doesn’t have to be that way currently,” said Snowe. “I could give voice to that.”
Snowe’s message was more than just her desire to start a new journey; it was a powerful message about how she envisions change in our Government. Through her travels, she realized how unhappy and frustrated American people are with certain legislations that pass or don’t pass, but Snowe’s belief is that the American public needs to communicate their opinions, thoughts and questions to the Government. “Dysfunction is the number one concern among American people,” said Snowe. “There’s no doubt that people are frustrated and angry, the questions now is how do they weigh in; they have to communicate through emails, through social media, through phone calls,” said Snowe.
When asked whether it matters to have women in public office, Snowe replied, “Absolutely, there’s no doubt.” We worked night and day on the issues that were so important to women and we drove it. Set aside all of our other differences; didn’t speak as Republicans or Democrats, but as women, so it had a major impact.”
“I am a can-do person and this is a can-do country and I know this is a can-do audience and the fact of the matter is we can change it and that’s the message that I want to convey to all of you here tonight. It’s the message I am conveying all across this country, you can do something about it,” said Snowe.
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Access to Flex is a Key Driver of Ambition for Women
Work-LifeRecent Catalyst research shows that access to flexible working arrangements is a critical driver of ambition for high potential women. The global study of high potential employees, released in early July, shows the availability of flexible working arrangements is widespread, with 81 percent of respondents (both men and women) reporting that their current firm offers some kind of flexible arrangement.
Women were somewhat more likely than men to use telecommuting (39 percent compared with 29 percent), but for the most part, women and men were likely to use other kinds of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) at roughly the same rates:
· 64 percent of both women and men said they have used flexible arrival and departure times frequently, very frequently, or always.
· 32 percent of women and 30 percent of men used flex time frequently, very frequently, or always.
· 7 percent of both women and men were likely to use a compressed work week frequently, very frequently, or always.
Even though FWA usage was mostly similar across genders, women tended to place more value on access to FWAs than men did. Two-thirds (67 percent) of women said that FWAs were very or extremely important to them, while almost half (46 percent) of men said the same.
Interestingly, FWA access was a predictor of women’s career ambition as well. Access to FWAs meant a high potential woman was more likely to aspire to a C-level job, and that difference was greater than it was for men.
Anna Beninger, an author of the report along with Nancy M. Carter, pointed out that this means access to FWAs is about more than day-to-day flexibility. It’s also about the perception of support. “Women working at a firm without flex access were more likely to downsize their career aspirations. This was what was most surprising to me about the findings. It’s not just about convenience. It’s about advancement and an organization’s ability to maximize its talent pool.”
It’s also about trust. Here’s why.
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What keeps Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany at the top?
NewsBy Terry Selucky (Los Angeles)
Last week, Germany’s Angela Merkel became the only European leader to secure a second re-election since the financial crisis of 2008. Viewed as a skilled diplomat and nicknamed the “Iron Chancellor”, Germany’s incumbent is, according to The Economist among others, the “de facto leader of the European Union.”
So what can we learn from the woman who is currently named #2 in Forbes’ “Most Powerful People” list, just after President Obama? The components of Merkel’s career can be translated to any career, at any time.
1. It may sound trite, but willingness is an overlooked and underrated component to leadership. Merkel wasn’t from a political family and she wasn’t pre-ordained to climb the ranks of German political leadership. It wasn’t until 1989, when she was 35 and working as a researcher, that she was elected into parliament from her position as spokesperson for her minority political party. Part of Merkel’s success is that she put herself in the position to mingle, debate, discuss, learn, and be discovered. Translation: Be vocal about what your interests are. Volunteer to help on a project, or read up on the kind of work you want to be involved in.
2. Being mentored. From Business Insider to the Wall Street Journal to this blog, all signs point to the evidence that having a mentor can have a lasting, positive effect on your career. Sheryl Sandberg credits Larry Summers with why she was able to rise in her field. It’s simple: Mentors provide guidance, advice, and connections to help you get to the next step. The links above provide solid steps on how to choose a mentor. When you cultivate these mentor relationships and establish sponsors who will advocate for you, then you will really feel the impact on your career advancement.
3. Great timing is perhaps one of the most hard-to-pinpoint qualities, but a good leader has to be in the right place at the right time. Synced with Merkel’s rise to power was the fact that the EU was poised for change. Merkel is a leader whose passionate opinions and strong leadership have earned her the moniker “the decider,” and with a shaky economy, Europe demands heavy guidance. Her commitment to austerity, though at times controversial, seems to be delivering the region toward stability. For women in business, this simply means responding to your current environment. Know what your company’s needs are, and act accordingly. Read more about good timing here.
4. Others’ acceptance. Of course, you can never control what other people think of you, but certain strategies and tactics can help you gain acceptance. This is not to say that your goal should be to please others; do that and you’ll find yourself pulled in all directions until you feel like a rubber octopus. The time-tested way to gain others’ acceptance is simply to earn it. Cultivate trust. Think of your best relationships—most likely, they took time to develop and have evolved through give and take: asking, listening and compromise. From 1990 until 2005, Merkel advocated for change in labor laws, in fiscal reform, and in energy policy, earning her way to Chancellorship.
5. Prove your character again and again. Have you noticed that our most successful, admired leaders seem to rise above circumstances? That they operate on a plane of self-possession, embodying the values people refer to as “leadership qualities?” Even though she has a specific point of view, Merkel has been praised worldwide for her diplomacy skills. Her constituency, in interviews, celebrates that “she persevere[s] in spite of all the West German men in high positions. You can see she is knowledgeable in all kinds of areas.” To be a good leader, you must continually demonstrate your values and your commitment.
Certainly, there are as many formulas for successful leadership as there are leaders in the world. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, gives this advice to young women leaders: “Grit your teeth and smile. And in the face of adversity, go. They don’t deserve you.” Raised by a single mother, she was inspired by her family, held numerous posts in the French government (securing mentorship, gaining acceptance) and stepped up to announce her candidacy (willingness) immediately following Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation as Managing Director of the IMF (timing).
In Lagarde’s words, the ups and downs of her job are “…an extraordinary adventure every day…Success is never complete. Each morning, one must put one’s capacities to the test once again.”
Though these two women hold many opposing beliefs about how to fix the economy, they keep a close and mutually respectful relationship—yet another practice of which US leaders should make a habit. Let’s hope they continue to inspire women around the world.
Walking The Workplace Tightrope
Office PoliticsIt’s a balancing act for women in leadership positions. Cautiously steadying the professional tightrope between exhibiting likeable behaviors and leading effectively.
According to Marianne Cooper, sociologist at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University and lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, this is the double bind.
She explained, “When in positions of leadership women are expected to be decisive and forceful, assertive and confident, but because they are women, are also expected to be nice, friendly, and supportive.”
So how are women maintaining equilibrium between the expectations of acceptable personality and successful managerial actions? Are top-female execs choosing between being liked and being respected in order to maintain their post at the helm?
Childhood Theories
The convention of the “labyrinth” – the term social psychologist, Alice Eagly, uses to define obstacles that women face en-route to the top– was first constructed in early in childhood. Parents, elders, and schoolteachers introduced both boys and girls to their first expected gender roles, stereotypes that have guided our society for generations. Particularly for women, this was when the tightrope was first pulled taut – defining the line of acceptable, appropriate feminine behavior.
“Women get that idea at a young age when they are reprimanded for ‘crossing the line,’ like when a girl is outspoken or aggressive she is called ‘bossy’,” Cooper said. “Today women are keenly aware that people react negatively to them when they are highly competent and assertive.”
Cooper added, “If a woman acts competitively, if she demonstrates decisive and forceful leadership, she is deviating from the social script that dictates how she ‘should’ behave,” She explained, noting that women face an even steeper bias in male-dominated industries.
So how are women working through the stereotypical character profiling and finding tactical balance to lead effectively?
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International Professional Experience is More Important than Ever
Managing ChangeThere has been debate recently over the career value of working abroad. Considering the ease and frequency with which executives travel the world, is it necessary to spend time living in another country? “True” international experience is not a two-night trip spent in luxury hotels, being chauffeured from meeting to meeting — it is facing the same challenges locals face on a daily basis. It is immersion in a business environment and daily life different from your own. In addition to the obvious benefits for those who aspire to have a global career, even for those who plan to work solely with their own domestic market, international experience provides extensive benefits in critical areas of professional development.
International experience is practically mandatory to become CEO of a global corporation. Seventy-five percent of Fortune 100 CEOs today have international experience, compared to less than half ten years ago. Considering that ever-growing portions of corporations’ consumer base and supply chain are global, it has simply become too risky for global corporations to have leaders without international experience. However, although the international experience is increasingly required for senior managers looking to rise in a global corporation’s ranks, it is not necessary to become a “serial expat.” Most individuals will not become CEO outside their country of origin. Rather, a study from IE Business School shows that executives actually may be more likely to advance their careers by returning to their home market.
Challenge yourself and refine your skills by working in an unfamiliar environment. Working abroad will improve your problem-solving and management skills in a way that no domestic assignment would, because of the additional layers of complexity inherent in doing business outside your home country. You will be challenged in new ways, as you need to perform functions that were already complex within an unfamiliar framework, often contrary to the norms you are used to. You learn to play by a new set of rules and begin to question things you believed to be unquestionable. That improves your flexibility and encourages you to think innovatively. Leisure travel and short international business trips can give you a taste of these benefits, but living in another country will develop these skills over an extended period of time.
Your EQ will thank you. If you are looking to develop your emotional intelligence and ability to successfully communicate, collaborate, and negotiate, working internationally will challenge you at a whole new level. On the international communication continuum, the US is considered to be a “direct” culture. By spending time abroad, particularly in a culture with significant differences from your home culture, you will become aware of these nuances. As a result, you will improve your ability to “read” people and will be better able to adapt your communication style to your audience and the situation.
Opportunities may be greater than those available at home. This is especially true in rapidly-growing markets, where opportunities often exceed the number of people trained for them in the local market. International assignments may enable you to work on high-profile projects that would not be available to you at home. You may also be able to attain higher levels of responsibility more quickly. While on an international assignment, your knowledge of your home country and your network there will be an asset. In the eyes of your new colleagues, you will already have valuable international experience (in your home country) from the day you arrive.
International experience may make you more successful in the US as well. The percentage of the US population that is foreign-born is at a high for our lifetime, and has been on a continual upward trend since 1970. This means that all people – including customers and potential customers, coworkers, and fellow citizens – are more likely to come from different countries today than was the case just a couple of decades ago. Individuals who have experience understanding other customs and cultures, and interacting and collaborating with people with diverse backgrounds will be well-prepared for success not only working in international business, but when collaborating with the diverse and international population living in the US.
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